It's been a long time since I posted here, but I wanted to share this reconstruction with ya'll. It's very easy, and takes minimal sewing skills, and you can make it and wear it in an afternoon.

You need a pair of jeans that fits your hips; a woven men's button up shirt that fits your hips; a t-shirt you can cut up for the petticoat/skirt front-check the backs of stained t-shirts, you can usually find there's no stains on the back; a necktie to use as a belt. You'll also need to find a vintage brooch or something like it to use as your "belt buckle".

Cut the jeans legs off across the lower hips, use pinking shears if possible to get a nice frayed and worn look. Cut the yoke and sleeves off of the button down shirt. Button it up and turn it inside out, lay it flat and smooth out any wrinkles. Mark a nice straight edge at each side seam from shoulder to hem. Cut on that line and leave it there while you cut the white t-shirt.

Fold your t-shirt in half, with the side seams together. Mark a trapezoid shape roughly the same size as the new front of your button down, and cut it out

Lay it right side down on the button down shirt, matching the top front edge, and pin the sides together. Also pin just the front top edges together. Sew the sides, and then zig-zag stitch over the raw edges (to keep it from unraveling in the wash) Now do the same with the top front edge. Use lots of pins to keep the t-shirt material from stretching too much.

Make a baste stitch along the top edge of the shirt/skirt and pull the thread to gather. Match up side seams and front and back, and pin. Use a lot of pins to help you out. If you decide to use a pair of your own jeans, and they're stretchy, then stretch the denim as you sew. Use thread to match the color of the jeans. Go over your stitches again for added strength. Throw it in the dryer to fray your denim edges.

Want a belt like this one? That's where the necktie comes in. Slip the necktie in the belt loops leaving the wider tip of the tie as your "buckle" end. Now mark where you need to cut it, and fold the raw edges in and hem under. Use an old brooch and pin together. Cute! Save the cut off end of the necktie and make a headband out of it.